Creating an Attitude of Gratitude

I love any reason to celebrate, and Thanksgiving is probably my favorite holiday of the year. I have a big, close-knit family and this is “the” holiday in our family – you know, the one where everyone comes together from around the country, no matter what’s on their calendars. My mom’s amazing turkey and stuffing makes it even more special.

Over the years, I’ve made tons of cute Thanksgiving crafts with the kids (handprint turkey anyone?), gone to the Plaza Lighting Ceremony with the family, and made many pies and other dessert experiments for everyone to try. (Martha Stewart’s basic pie dough is the easiest and best tasting pie crust in my opinion.) Yet there was one thing missing: a regular conversation about the things we are thankful for – in other words, an attitude of gratitude.

Gratitude is not an easy thing to teach. We discovered it’s easier to make it a part of the routine by regularly setting examples, talking about gratitude, and practicing it throughout the year. Here are some great tips  on teaching gratitude that have helped us along the way. We still use some of these ideas today, and use Thanksgiving as a reminder to hit the refresh button and set a few new ideas into action.

So now, we still make the crafts, and we still spend a lot of time with our extended family. We go out and do the fun things we normally don’t have time to do during the busy school week. We’ve even tried new pie crust recipes (though none hold a candle to Martha’s!). Yet one thing remains: we always take some time to reflect on the year and talk about gratitude. I hope this can be a part of your family’s life too.

If you’re already doing it, we’d love to hear how you and your family practices gratitude in the comments below, or on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter!